LIFE SET TO MUSIC (PART THREE)

INT. LOCAL DINER - EVENING

The night before the school concert Ariel is sitting in a café listening to music

Dieter walks in

DIETER: Hey Ariel, I thought you didn’t like music

Ariel removes her headphones as Dieter sits down opposite her

ARIEL: Mr Bannon gave it to me. I’m just testing it out.

DIETER: Didn’t he give that to you months ago?

ARIEL: Oh, no no..

DIETER: Don’t worry, your secrets safe with me. What’s on there?

ARIEL: Well thankfully no Megadeth or AC/DC

DIETER: Bummer

ARIEL: What are you here for?

DIETER: I was kind of hoping to ask the owner for a job. We can’t all be rocket scientists. (before pausing) What would you like to do.

ARIEL: I haven’t really given it much thought. My mom is not well for the last few weeks. I was hoping to get away from it all. Then you arrived.

DIETER: Could be worse. You could be stuck with Jasmine Breachwater or Sylvester Gordon

ARIEL: Don’t knock Sylvester. He’s much better looking than you and has better prospects. If I was married to him I would probably sit in front of the tv and watch Desperate Housewives reruns for the rest of my life.

DIETER: You really know how to kick a man when he is down. Unfortunately for you, Sylvester’s off the market. I hear he plans to marry some good looking girl from a rich family across town.

ARIEL: Well there’s plenty of fish in the sea

DIETER: Say. I know I’ve asked you like a billion times before, but would you like to do something together, like see a movie or something?

ARIEL: I’ll think about it

DIETER: I’ll think about it?Is that like a yes? Normally you’re like – not until hell freezes over.

ARIEL: Like I said, Rosenfart, I’ll think about it.

WAITER: Would you like to order sir?

DIETER: Could I have the strawberry milkshake like she’s having

WAITER: A real big spender. I’ll look forward to a generous tip

INT. HIGH SCHOOL CHANGING ROOMS - EVENING

It is the night of the concert and Mr Bannon’s music class are getting ready for there performance.

SYLVESTER: The rest of you bums are going to bring me down. I know it.

DIETER: Don’t worry Sylvester, we’ll only make you look good.

EMERSON: You guys, I’ve see the first three acts. Alexander Mathison was juggling five chainsaws at the one time, Fred Thompson was walking on his hands for five minutes while balancing a beach ball on his feet and Amy Savanah escaped from a tank full of water in a straight jacket while weighed down by a ball and chain. The omens do not look good. Each of the first three acts got heckled.

DIETER: Emerson, in five minutes it will all be over.

SYLVESTER: That’s what I’m afraid off. My parents will stop paying for music classes.

MELANIE: Oh the burden of first world problems.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT HALL - EVENING

The band take their positions and the curtains go up

Before they even begin there are taunts of “you suck” and paper missiles being thrown at them

Melanie addresses the crowd

MELANIE: This is a song in our own words.

Sylvester commences with a violin solo

MELANIE (singing): I feel the pain, Never ever again, I turn on the music, it expresses what i feel, It’s not electronic, It’s got heart, it’s got soul, it’s a kind of art, and makes me feel whole. This music is killing me, But at the same time it sets me free. This music is killing me. It helps my eyes to fully see.

(Ariel performs backing vocals all the while, Dieter plays guitar and Emerson the drums (badly))

Melanie is hit with a pair of underpants, Sylvester by a prosthetic arm and Dieter has a fresh chicken thrown at him.

They stop and humiliated, they walk off.

Dejected, they sit down in the changing rooms

INT. HIGH SCHOOL CHANGING ROOMS - EVENING

EMERSON: Well at least it didn’t last five minutes.

Scott Thornton walks in.

SCOTT THORNTON: Ariel, I thought you were great. The audience just didn’t appreciate you. You were like a shining star in a galaxy full of lifeless planets.

Ariel doesn’t say anything

DIETER: Say Scott, do you want your fresh chicken back?

Scott sneers at Dieter and then leaves.

INT. ARIEL’S HOME MOTHERS BEDROOM - DAY

Ariel’s Mother is dying of cancer. She calls Ariel into her bedroom and asks everyone else to leave.

VICTORIA CHOBLOWSKY: Ariel, I know I haven’t been the perfect mother to you. I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye. It’s just that I don’t want you to repeat every mistake that I made. As I’ve said many times. I married for love. My sister married for money. She’s comfortable now. She has two kids, both in college. She has a husband who cares for her.

ARIEL: Where is Aunt Viv now?

VICTORIA CHOBLOWSKY: Don’t knock your Aunt Viv. She’s too busy to come and visit. She’s an important woman now. I can see that Scott Thornton really likes you. He calls every now and again and you don’t give him the time of day. He’s such a good boy and he’s rich. You won’t do any better than him. Besides that male friend of yours – he’s not right for you. He’ll never amount to anything and he has a horrible taste in music and I won’t even mention his disgusting tattoos.

ARIEL: Mother, he’s not that bad at all if you got to know him

VICTORIA CHOBLOWSKY: Well there isn’t much time for that now is there. All I’m saying is that it’s my dying wish that you give the young Thornton boy a chance. You might like him. Can’t you do that for me. I may not be the best Mother in the world but I’m not the worst either. I’m only thinking of you and your future. Look at me and promise me to give it a try

ARIEL: Mother...

VICTORIA CHOBLOWSKY: Don’t you love your mother?

ARIEL: Of course I do

VICTORIA CHOBLOWSKY: All I ask is that you give that young man the time of day. Can you promise me that

ARIEL: Yes Mother

VICTORIA CHOBLOWSKY: Promise?

ARIEL: Yes Mother. I promise

VICTORIA CHOBLOWSKY: You may never have been the brightest but you were always a good girl

INT. ARIEL’S HOME DOORWAY - DAY

Scott Thornton calls to the door. Ariel answers.

SCOTT THORNTON: Hi Ariel. Do you fancy going to the local Diner to get something to drink?

ARIEL: Sure, why not? Just give me a minute.

EXT. STREET NEAR ARIELS HOME - DAY

Minutes later Scott and Ariel walk down the street

SCOTT THORNTON: You’ve been avoiding me

ARIEL: Not really

SCOTT THORNTON: Well I’ll show you what you’re missing.

Pauses briefly

SCOTT THORNTON: The summer is coming. I could bring you to Europe, Rome, Paris, London. Wouldn’t you like to visit those places. If you don’t like them we could go to other places instead.

ARIEL: It sounds great, but my Mother isn’t well at the moment and I can’t really go anywhere as it stands.

SCOTT THORNTON: Of course your Mother is a wonderful person. She invited me inside for a cup of tea numerous times. I think she’d like for the two of us to get better acquainted. What college are you going to?

ARIEL: I’m kind of thinking that I’m not going to college. My grades aren’t good enough and my parents don’t have the money to send me. Brandon got a scholarship and a part time job. I’m thinking of applying for a job at the cinema. The manager there was always generous towards me. It might help pay some bills for my Dad.

SCOTT THORNTON: I guess we all can’t go to college eh?

INT. LOCAL DINER - DAY

Scott and Ariel are seated at the local diner

The waiter approaches. It’s Dieter.

SCOTT THORNTON: Hey Dieter, how long have you been working here for?

DIETER: Since Tuesday

SCOTT THORNTON: Sucks huh.Say, when I start working at Dyshelle Electronics I’ll look out for a job for you

DIETER: (underwhelmed) Thanks. What would you like to order?

SCOTT THORNTON: Can we have two vanilla milkshakes

DIETER: So the young lady wants a milkshake too huh? Choblowsky isn’t it?

ARIEL: Well..

DIETER: Well of course the milkshakes are on special today.

Dieter leaves.

SCOTT THORNTON: Say, I could put a good word in for you with my Father. There might be a job going for you at the plant. Office work of course.

ARIEL: To be honest, I wouldn’t want to take advantage of connections. My grandfather once said that if you can make it on your own, you should stand on your own two feet and not look for anyone else’s help

SCOTT THORNTON: Well, you know what they say? You shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Dieter returns with two milkshakes

SCOTT THORNTON: Why thank you Dieter. Here’s a little something for your troubles.

Scott tries to hand Dieter five bucks

DIETER: I don’t want your money 

SCOTT THORNTON: Take it. Do you want me to make a scene. You wouldn’t like me to embarass you in your new job and all.

Dieter accepts the money and walks off

SCOTT THORNTON: I was only trying to be decent. I don’t see why he’d have a problem with that.

EXT. OUTSIDE DINER - NIGHT

Later that evening Ariel goes to the Diner to talk to Dieter. It’s raining as Dieter helps close up

ARIEL: Dieter, can we talk?

DIETER: What is there to talk about Choblowsky?

ARIEL: It’s about Scott

DIETER: Scott is none of my business

ARIEL: It’s not what you think

DIETER: I thought I was incapable of thinking, being a lowly waiter and all

ARIEL: Of course I don’t think that. Dieter, can’t you be reasonable

DIETER: Scott might be a good man. But there is one thing he certainly will do for you. You won’t have to worry about money with a guy like Scott. Goodbye Choblowsky. I’d better get out of this rain.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY

SAM BANNON: Today is the last class. You weren’t my most talented group of musicians but I’ll be sorry to see you go. There are a lot of times in history where a lack of talent didn’t get in the way of a good career.

Sylvester puts his hand up

SAM BANNON: Sylvester

SYLVESTER: Sir, can I just say that I’m glad I won’t have to see you losers ever again. My Dad refuses to pay for lessons anymore and that concert was the most painful experience of my life. And I’m not referring to the missiles that were thrown at me.

DIETER: Can I just say Sylvester, that whenever your ego comes crashing back down to earth. I will be there for you as a friend and comrade and the same to everyone else. Even Choblowsky

SYLVESTER: The thing is Dieter I don’t need your help. You seem to think that just because you stick up for me in the school canteen that I should be indebted to you. I can stand on my own to feet. I don’t need anyone’s help

MELANIE: Can I just say sir that the pair of underpants you threw at me, Mr Bannon, were just the right size for Leroy, my boyfriend. Now I know what to get him for his birthday.

EMERSON: I’d just like to say sir that if I had the opportunity to do that concert again, I would do it. Its an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. If you don’t have memories then you don’t have much of a life.

SAM BANNON: Ariel, is there anything you would like to contribute to the class?

Ariel is downbeat

ARIEL: No sir

SAM BANNON: Just because you’re not that good at music shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying it. Music may not be your thing but you may find something you're good at. You should never lose hope that in your life you can do something truly spectacular. It doesn’t have to be a job or an interest. It could be something as simple as being a good friend or partner or parent. Ok, well I guess that concludes the class. I look forward to seeing you all at some point in the future

The class members all stand up to walk out

Ariel is last and approaches the music teacher with the ipod in her hand

ARIEL: I’m sorry sir for not returning this sooner

SAM BANNON: Ariel, actually, I was kind of hoping that you wouldn’t return it at all.

INT. PRINCIPAL STEPMEYER’S OFFICE - DAY

Mr Bannon enters Mr Stepmeyer’s office

MR STEPMEYER: 63 years old, with white hair and a white beard, hunched over like a man in his eighties, slow speaker, slim for his age, five feet eight inches tall

MR STEPMEYER: Take a seat Mr Bannon. I hope it will be quick and painless.

SAM BANNON: I sure hope so too, Mr Stepmeyer

MR STEPMEYER: Mr Bannon, I’ve been looking over your grades for the past eight years you’ve been with us and they are not good at all. History is your best subject and the scores for that too are very low

SAM BANNON: Well I do generally work with the weaker students. I prefer...

MR STEPMEYER: Poppycock, Mr Bannon. We are in the business of getting results. Parents will look at our scores and they will send their students across town to Dingo’s and we wouldn’t want that, would we Mr Bannon?

SAM BANNON: I don’t completely agree with..

MR STEPMEYER: Our funding is being cut and our numbers are down. Without funding and without contributions from parents we wouldn’t exist. We have to make cuts Mr Bannon and you are top of the list. I know that you are one of our lowest paid teachers but although it pains me it has to be done. I’m cutting your salary by $3,000 dollars a year. What do you say to that Mr Bannon.

SAM BANNON: I love my job Mr Stepmeyer but I do need money to live on

MR STEPMEYER: Improve your scores Mr Bannon. Improve the reputation of the school.

SAM BANNON: Students enjoy coming to my class. To me that is the most important marker of all

MR STEPMEYER: It is the parents who make the decisions and provide financial contributions

SAM BANNON : I think you are losing site of the fact Mr Stepmeyer, that our job is to develop young minds. It isn’t all about a piece of paper.

MR STEPMEYER: That is enough. If you don’t back down Mr Bannon, I will make it $4,000. We wouldn’t want that now would we?